You may crown them champions of the metro area . . . the visitors from LA, that is.

In defeating the now quite lackluster Rangers 4-0 at the Garden last night, the Kings became the first team ever to complete a three-game, single-trip sweep of the Islanders, Devils and Blueshirts. Perhaps they’d even like to hang around and try the Knicks when they return from the road.

Talking about a Garden team with problems . . . the Rangers, that is.

With Eric Lindros working on his timing while playing a largely cautious game on the perimeter, not only have his Flyboys have been grounded, but no other unit has stepped up to fill the gap. Hence, in losing five straight games – including the OT loss in Colorado last Thursday – the Rangers have been outscored by an ungainly 18-4.

There wasn’t much pace throughout the match, with the Kings employing what has become every bit as much the style of play out West as we are forced to endure in the East; in other words, the dreaded trap.

Odd-man rushes and scoring chances were kept to a minimum, though the Rangers created a quick-developing, offensive-zone two-on-one within the opening minute when Lindros broke in on the right with Theo Fleury his passing option driving down the lane. Lindros blasted the puck wide and then, illustrating the caution with which he’s played since returning Saturday from his concussion, turned away from Mattias Norstrom instead of attempting to drill him through the boards onto Eighth Avenue after the LA defenseman had moved the puck out of the zone.

Lindros also created the Rangers’ next scoring chance, cutting to the net from left wing before being stopped by Jamie Storr at the 7:30 mark. Just a half-minute later, Fleury appeared to twist his ankle after being crunched into the right-corner boards by Jason Allison. Helped off the ice by Lindros and Vladimir Malakhov, Fleury wouldn’t miss so much as a shift.

Though neither team was able to score on two power plays, the Kings got the first period’s lone goal when Mikko Eloranta, alone in front, was able to convert Ian Laperriere’s centering feed at 8:30. The scoring play began when Mike Richter’s attempted clear up the boards to his left was picked off the glass by Eric Belanger. The LA center relayed quickly to Laperriere, who created open ice before feeding Eloranta. Jeff Toms, supposed to be checking Eloranta, was banished to the bench for all but one shift the remainder of the period.

The Blueshirts’ well-documented power-play impotence carried through the second period. In failing on a pair of man-advantages, failing to create even a whisper of pressure while doing so, the Rangers had gone 25 straight without converting.

While the Rangers had entered the match ranked 27th on the power play and 30th in penalty killing, the Kings had come in with the NHL’s best specialty units, first on the PK and third on the PP. And not only were they spotless on the PK, they took advantage of their third PP opportunity to increase their lead to 2-0 in the second.

The PPG came at 6:35 off the stick of Steve Heinze, able to jam Craig Johnson’s goalmouth feed into the open side to Richter’s right. LA had created the chance down low following Jaroslav Modry’s right point keep of Tomas Kloucek’s attempted clear.